How to Easily Query REST Data in OpenOffice Base

Apache OpenOffice Base is a versatile, free database tool that makes connecting and managing data easy. With CData ODBC Driver for REST, you can seamlessly integrate and query live REST data, bringing real-time insights directly into OpenOffice.

This guide simplifies the setup, showing you how to connect REST to OpenOffice Base so you can easily generate reports, analyze trends, and make informed decisions right within your familiar workspace.

Overview

Here is an overview of the steps:

1. CONFIGURE: Configure the DSN for REST data in the CData ODBC Driver for REST, using the required connection properties.
2. CONNECT: Set up the ODBC connection in OpenOffice Base using the configured DSN.
3. IMPORT: Once connected, review the available metadata and tables.
4. CREATE: Create a report based on the queried REST data data.

Configure the REST DSN Using the CData ODBC Driver for REST

To start, configure the DSN (Data Source Name) for REST data in your system using the CData ODBC Driver for REST. Download and install a 30-day free trial with all the features from here.

Once installed, launch the ODBC Data Source Administrator:

• On Windows: Search for ODBC Data Source Administrator in the Start menu and open the application.
• On Mac: Open Applications, go to Utilities, and select ODBC Manager.
• On Linux: Use the command line to launch ODBC Data Source Administrator or use unixODBC if installed.

Once launched, double-click on the CData REST data Source and enter the required values to establish a connection:

See the Getting Started chapter in the data provider documentation to authenticate to your data source: The data provider models REST APIs as bidirectional database tables and XML/JSON files as read-only views (local files, files stored on popular cloud services, and FTP servers). The major authentication schemes are supported, including HTTP Basic, Digest, NTLM, OAuth, and FTP. See the Getting Started chapter in the data provider documentation for authentication guides.

After setting the URI and providing any authentication values, set Format to "XML" or "JSON" and set DataModel to more closely match the data representation to the structure of your data.

The DataModel property is the controlling property over how your data is represented into tables and toggles the following basic configurations.

• Document (default): Model a top-level, document view of your REST data. The data provider returns nested elements as aggregates of data.
• FlattenedDocuments: Implicitly join nested documents and their parents into a single table.
• Relational: Return individual, related tables from hierarchical data. The tables contain a primary key and a foreign key that links to the parent document.

See the Modeling REST Data chapter for more information on configuring the relational representation. You will also find the sample data used in the following examples. The data includes entries for people, the cars they own, and various maintenance services performed on those cars.

Setup an ODBC Connection in OpenOffice Base

Once you've set up the DSN, it's time to connect to it in OpenOffice Base and start querying data:

• Launch OpenOffice Base and select Database from the home screen.
• In the Database Wizard, choose ODBC from the 'Connect to an existing database' option and click Next.
• Click Browse to locate and select the DSN you created, then click OK.
• Enter the username associated with the DSN, click Test Connection to verify, and then click Next.
• Finally, click Finish to save the new database file to your desired directory. This will connect OpenOffice Base to your live REST data data, ready for querying and analysis.

Your connection is now established — ready to query and analyze data seamlessly within OpenOffice Base.

Review the Metadata and Tables

After the database file is created and the connection is established, the table list will automatically display all available REST data objects.

• Review the REST data Object List: In the left pane, click on Tables to view the REST data objects now available within OpenOffice Base.
• View Object Data: Click on any object to view its contents. The REST data data will display directly within OpenOffice Base, allowing you to review records and fields with ease.

That's it! You have now successfully established a connection to REST data in OpenOffice Base, with data readily available for analysis and reporting.

Create a Report

Now, let's generate a report based on your REST data data.

• Open your database and go to the Reports tab, then select Create Report Using Wizard.
• In the Report Wizard, choose the REST data table from the Table or Query section. Select the columns from Available Fields that you want to include in your report and move them to the Fields in Report section using the arrows.
• After configuring the fields, click Finish to generate your report.
• Analyze, adjust, save, and publish the report as needed.

Your report is now created, drawing live data directly from REST data, and ready for analysis.

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